MAP - Smith, Aaronhttp://www.drugnews.org/
Media Awareness Project Drug Newsen-usSat, 17 Feb 2018 20:29:58 -0800Sat, 17 Feb 2018 09:10:01 GMThttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssModperleditor@mapinc.org (MAP Editor)webmaster@mapinc.org (MAP Webmaster)US: New Trade Group's Focus Will Be Marijuana Industryhttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n962/a07.html
New York Times, 23 Nov 2010 - DENVER -- It is being called the green rush. With more states moving to legalize medical marijuana, the business of growing and dispensing it is booming, even as much of the rest of the economy struggles. Now, flush with financial clout, and with their eyes on pushing Congress to further loosen laws, medical marijuana industry leaders are forming a national trade association. While there are smaller, local trade groups, organizers around the country say this will be the first business organization working on the national level. Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n962/a07.htmlUS CA: Legalization's Opponentshttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n819/a05.html
North Coast Journal, 07 Oct 2010 - Critics of Prop. 19 Range From Skeptical to Rabid -- and Some of Them Come From Inside the Movement In 1911, after years of scandal and high-profile corruption trials, California voters overwhelmingly approved one of the most rigorous ballot initiative laws in the country. The idea was to allow voters to bypass state lawmakers when they were too timid, cowed, or corrupt to act on the voters' behalf. Almost a century later, the process is still relatively simple and accessible. Any group or individual can write an initiative and submit it with a $200 fee to the state attorney general's office. After the initiative's fiscal cost was analyzed, the signature gathering began. If the authors didn't have access to a large group of well-organized volunteers, signature gatherers could be easily hired at a price. For about $1 million, a professional company would send paid staffers to shopping malls, commercial districts, and public transportation hubs to collect roughly 440,000 signatures of registered voters required to qualify the initiative for the California bal! lot. And if the initiative won 50 percent of the vote on Election Day, it became law. Thu, 07 Oct 2010 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n819/a05.htmlUS WA: Marijuana Bills Tempt Cash-Starved Stateshttp://www.joplinglobe.com/national/local_story_096083934.html
The Joplin Globe, 06 Apr 2010 - (MCT) WASHINGTON - Mary Lou Dickerson had seen enough. After wrenching cuts to Washington's state drug and alcohol treatment programs, Dickerson, a Democratic representative, introduced a bill this year to sell marijuana in state liquor stores - and tax it. Dickerson is an unlikely crusader for marijuana legalization. A 63-year-old grandmother who doesn't use it, she says money was the only reason for proposing her controversial bill. "According to the state's own estimates, it would bring in an additional $300 million per biennium," she says. "I dedicated (in the bill) a great deal of the proceeds from the tax on marijuana to treatment." Tue, 06 Apr 2010 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.joplinglobe.com/national/local_story_096083934.htmlUS CA: Cannabis Country?http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n243/a02.html
The Press Democrat, 01 Apr 2010 - Mendocino County's economic future may rest with a marijuana-fueled version of Wine Country, complete with tasting rooms, bud boutiques and pot-garden tourism. "It's the only thing we have that brings money into the county," said Mendocino County Supervisor John Pinches, who believes that marijuana accounts for at least half of the county economy. Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n243/a02.htmlUS IN: Edu: California Marijuana Plan Unlikely For Indianahttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n242/a08.html
The Exponent, 29 Mar 2010 - California will vote in November on a proposal to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol or tobacco, but local legislators said any similar initiative in Indiana remains remote. "The current system is an utter failure," said Aaron Smith, Marijuana Policy Project California policy director. "More teens are smoking marijuana than cigarettes." Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n242/a08.htmlUS CA: Fine Hike Was Like Seeds in a Bag of Good Weedhttp://www.sfbg.com/politics/2010/03/17/fine-hike-was-seeds-bag-good-weed
The San Francisco Bay Guardian, 17 Mar 2010 - Legislation designed to help pot smokers instead had many of them going all like, "Dude, what the fuck?!?!" But the author is now telling everyone to chill out, no problem, he's got it under control. California Sen. Mark Leno (D-SF) introduced a bill last month that would make possession of up to one ounce of marijuana an infraction instead of a misdemeanor. As introduced, the bill Senate Bill 1449 would also raise fines to $250 from $100, which pot advocates and their allies thought was a serious bummer. But Leno called this a "drafting error" that he intends to correct with an amendment this week. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.sfbg.com/politics/2010/03/17/fine-hike-was-seeds-bag-good-weedUS CA: Edu: Column: Refocus Weed Legalizationhttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n103/a03.html
The State Hornet, 10 Feb 2010 - The first of three initiatives to fully legalize marijuana use in California went up in smoke on Jan. 15, 2010. Written by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Assembly Bill 390 would have legalized marijuana use and sales for adults 21 years or older and imposed a $50 per ounce tax for drug education and rehabilitation. Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n103/a03.htmlUS CA: Edu: Judiciary Simplifies Unsettled Weed Lawhttp://mapinc.org/url/XCUOYCKG
Daily Nexus, 22 Jan 2010 - The California Supreme Court overturned the limit on how much medical marijuana a patient can carry in a unanimous vote yesterday, ruling residents can have as much as personally necessary. The court found the former limit of six mature plants and eight ounces of cannabis was not consistent with state law. California voters passed Proposition 215 in 1996, allowing residents to possess marijuana for medical use. Thursday's ruling puts a hold on a more than decade long legal debate about the meaning of the proposition, which said patients could possess whatever amount necessary for their "personal needs." Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:00:00 GMThttp://mapinc.org/url/XCUOYCKGUS CA: OPED: Sensible Handling Of Marijuana Offenders Ishttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n000/a190.html
Capitol Weekly, 20 Oct 2009 - Among the many hard questions faced by legislators under the current budget mandate to cut $1.2 billion in corrections spending, there's at least one easy answer: release non-violent marijuana offenders and reform penalties for some marijuana offenses. Patching the hole in our prison budget is going to require much more than early release programs. Serious sentencing reforms are inevitable, especially considering the looming court order to reduce the inmate population by 27 percent. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n000/a190.html